Leaf or trash bags are well known and commonly used for the collection and disposal of leaves and other types of refuse from lawns and other generally flat areas from which it is raked or swept and placed in bags. In order to reduce their cost and bulk, such leaf or trash bags are typically made of thin plastic material with sufficient tensile strength to hold low density materials such as leaves or paper, but with no rigidity or “body” whatsoever. As a result, the bags will not stand alone when empty, and must be supported in some manner for filling. Although bags can be held open by hand, this approach is very inefficient and can be very frustrating when a single person is attempting to fill bags. It is also often desirable to be able to rake or sweep leaves and other refuse into a bag with the bag lying flat, and it is almost impossible for a single person to hold a bag open by hand while raking or sweeping refuse into it.
Various approaches have been attempted in an effort to address the problem of supporting a bag in an open position for filling, with varying degrees of success. Placing a bag inside an existing trash can or box will provide support for the bag and allow it to be filled from the top, but this approach does not readily accommodate raking or sweeping refuse into the bag. Further, a filled bag can be difficult to remove from a trash can.
A number of devices have been devised for the specific purpose of holding or supporting a leaf or trash bag while it is filled, but all such devices known in the prior art have disadvantages or drawbacks. One such device comprises a rigid structure with a pair of centrally pivoting legs, designed to fold flat for storage and to support a bag suspended between the legs when open. The only means of adjustment for bags of differing sizes is the degree to which the legs are pivoted open, which can result in excessive force against the top of the bag and tearing of the bag. This device is useable only in an upright position, and does not securely hold the bag in place to prevent slipping. In addition, a filled bag can be difficult to remove from between the legs of the device without tearing the bag.
Another device is formed as a flexible, shape retentive plastic sheet that can be rolled into a cylinder and placed inside a bag. When the rolled sheet is released it partially unrolls until constrained by the bag, so that the force of the sheet against the inside of the bag holds it in an open, generally cylindrical form. When the bag is filled, the sheet is slipped from the open end of the bag. Although a bag opened with this device can be placed on its side for filling, only a small area is in contact with the ground because of the cylindrical form, and raking or sweeping material into the bag is difficult. Use of this device can be cumbersome for a single person because it is necessary to hold the rolled sheet to prevent it from unrolling while, at the same time, holding the bag open and inserting the rolled sheet into the bag. This device will accommodate different sized bags, although the force holding and supporting the bag will vary and the bag may slip along the sheet and become disengaged during handling and filling.
Yet another device includes a body with a funnel-like opening with a large throat to which a bag can be attached. The body is supported by legs so that the bag can be hung from the body, secured by clips, between the legs or with the legs in the interior of the bag. The bag is then filled from the top. In some variations the bag and support structure may be placed on the ground, either with or without the legs, so that leaves, etc. can be raked or swept into the bag, but the design of the body does not facilitate use in a horizontal orientation and it can be difficult to push leaves, etc. through the opening to fully fill the bag. These structures are of rigid construction with no provision for adjustment to accommodate bags of different sizes. In addition, they are relatively large and bulky, and require a significant amount of storage space.